


Home is where you sank your city

by Caers



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-18
Updated: 2012-07-18
Packaged: 2017-11-10 06:17:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/463138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caers/pseuds/Caers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They're going back to the Pegasus galaxy.  That's just the way it is.</p>
<p>Just a few moments between Ronon and John.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home is where you sank your city

Watching Earth vanish off the grid as he pilots Atlantis away from the planet is, surprisingly, freeing. There’s a tinge of sadness that he’s probably never coming back, but he’s made a conscious choice this time, and it sets him free in a way he hadn’t expected.

But then he’s concentrating on getting the city back to Pegasus in one piece and he doesn’t have a chance to think about the repercussions again until he’s being welcomed back by the Athosians they’d left on the planet. The Athosians crowd around them all, the joy at their return palpable.

Strong arms wrap around John from behind and he’s lifted off his feet and squeezed before being set down with a slap on his back that nearly sends him sprawling.

“Knew you’d get us home,” Ronon says, grinning when John turns to face him.

John nods, not trusting himself to say anything in case it comes out overly sappy. This is home, and for the first time since he was a kid the word fits.

*

Which isn’t to say everything is peachy now. 

John spends his free time, what little there is of it, on the highest balcony in Atlantis, staring up at the sky as if he’ll be able to see any threat that arrives in time to do something about it. In reality, he knows the senors will pick up any approaching ships long before they’d be visible. 

And the troops, those that volunteered to come back with them, are drilled within an inch of their lives. Atlantis is ready for any threat. Whether or not they’ll be able to adequately defend against anything is iffy, considering their reduced numbers, but they’re damned well going to try.

It doesn’t change his routine. John stands here and watches the sky, going over the defenses of the city, the offensive capabilities, trying to identify and correct any flaw. It’s not so much the Wraith or the Genii he’s watching for these days; it’s the Air Force he’s obsessing over, waiting for them to come and try to retrieve Atlantis.

Try to. John’s hands tighten around the railing. He’ll be damned if they take his city from him, from Pegasus.

Ronon’s sudden presence at his side doesn’t startle him, even though he didn’t heard him approach. Ronon often joins him on these vigils.

“It’s been over a year.”

John nods once but doesn’t answer. Ronon picked up the Earth calendar system when they were marooned there and but now he only uses it to mark the passage of how long they’ve been gone from Earth. John doesn’t really think about it. He’s trying to abandon that system of marking time and learn the Athosian system. They are his people now. He needs to learn more of their ways.

Ronon leans on the railing and looks up at the night sky in silence for several long moments. “Maybe they aren’t coming,” he finally says.

“Maybe they’re just gathering their forces,” John replies. 

Ronon shrugs. “Won’t do them any good.” He doesn’t suggest John end his vigil, and he doesn’t say it’s pointless, which John appreciates. He hears it enough from everyone else. “I’m going for a run,” Ronon states, and doesn’t ask John along. “Let me know if you see anything.”

It’s said with sincerity, and that, more than anything, is a relief to John. 

The door slides shut after Ronon with a soft swish, and John relaxes his hold on the railing but doesn’t take his eyes off the sky.

*

Woolsey hasn’t answered a message from Earth in almost four years when the Daedalus and the Sun Tzu appear on the sensors. It gives Rodney plenty of time to raise the shields and sink Atlantis, cloaking them as the battleships enter the atmosphere.  
Unfortunately, it leaves several members of the city exposed at an Athosian village. Teyla ushers John and Ronon in to a storehouse keeps her radio on, though tucked away, as she goes out to meet the representatives of the ships.

“Think they’ll cause any trouble?” Ronon asks softly, checking over his gun. 

John shrugs, peering out of a shuttered window. “They can try.”

Ronon just snorts and reholsters his weapon. “Most of the Athosians can fight as well as Teyla. They wouldn’t get two steps.”

“They wouldn’t have to. They can transport back up.” John’s fingers twitch on the shutters as he listens to Teyla lie convincingly to the soldiers. He hates being here, away from the situation, putting the control in someone else’s hands. 

“It’s the best way,” Ronon says, looking out as well. “She can handle this.”

John doesn’t answer. The soldiers aren’t going to believe Teyla, no matter what she says, and Atlantis can’t hide under the sea forever. Not even with the ZPMs they took from Earth and the one they’ve acquired since returning to Pegasus. 

The two teams of soldiers step away from Teyla suddenly, one talking on his radio. Then they’re shouting orders and running back to the shuttles, but John and Ronon are moving without thinking, weapons drawn, cutting the men off before they can retreat. They’re backed up by a dozen Athosians, suddenly armed, and the soldiers looked shocked at how quickly the situation has changed.

“What’s the rush?” John asks with a friendly smile, his handgun up and ready. 

The soldier narrows his eyes at John. “We knew you were here,” he says. “And Atlantis just surfaced. You’re no match for both our ships.”

John steps inside one of the shuttles to use the long range radio whilst the others secure the teams and it’s a brief conversation with Woolsey, who sounds irritated but rather pleased.

“Rodney decided he needed the ships?” Ronon asks when John comes back out. 

“He wanted to give me a birthday present,” John mutters. “We’ll send the men back to Earth through the Gate.”

“Isn’t your birthday in four months?”

“Sometimes you see the perfect gift and you just get it, I guess.” He shrugs. “Maybe this will convince them to leave us alone.”

“Yeah, sure.” Ronon grabs the arms of two soldiers and hauls them to their feet. “If they’re your birthday presents, there’d better be cake too.”

John grins and helps another man up, slaps him on the chest. “I could go for cake,” he says. “What about you? I’m generous. I’ll share before we send you home.”

“Not if I get to it first,” Ronon says with a grin.

Teyla pushes between them with a stern look, then dashes up the ramp and inside one of the shuttles. “Not if I get to it before either of you,” she challenges, smirking as she closes the ramp.

“If there isn’t cake when we get back, we’re dead men,” John mutters.

“It’s your birthday,” Ronon points out. “You should have thought about that.”

“My birthday? You know what, when it is my birthday there isn't going to be any cake for anyone!” John snaps and ushers the rest of the soldiers into the shuttle.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: ronon just "gets" john, ronon stealth attack hug!
> 
> Written for http://satedan-grabass.livejournal.com/ in 2011


End file.
